I met a couple other birders last night who had a similar plan for today as I did, so I got a ride with them up the hill to the Parque Nacional Cayambe-Coca. Another misty, drizzly day met us there, and presented all the hassles involved in birding when your glasses and binoculars are constantly covered in rain drops.
I birded into the park and then all the way back down to Papallacta, walking over 10km in about 7 hours. No huge numbers of birds presented themselves, but little by little I tracked down quite a number of new species. Hummingbird highlights included lifer Rainbow-bearded and Purple-backed Thorntails, both spectacular species that were immensely satisfying to find. Especially the Purple-backed, which unexpectedly appeared and perched in a rare moment of sunlight for a dazzling, one-second long view! This happened during a 15min or so interval was the only time all day the sun showed itself, and it probably wasn’t a coincidence that a nice mixed flock also came through at that point. The flock included Blue-backed and Cinereous Conebills, Glossy Flowerpiercer, Black-crested Warbler, Superciliaried Hemisphingus, Agile Tit-tyrant, and a perennial favourite of mine, Pearled Treerunners.
Not long thereafter I encountered a second mixed flock with a slightly different makeup. This one included many Spectacled Redstarts and Agile Tit-tyrants, and a couple Rufous Wrens, White-banded Tyrannulets, and Pale-naped Brushfinches rounded out the group.
The last new bird of the day, spotted just as I was getting back to the hostel, was a Black-chested Buzzard-eagle soaring over the ridge to the west. A great finale for a very long day on my feet!
